Category Archives: action

Eastwood in “Mercury Plains”

action, family, police drama, , , ,
Mercury Plains

Directed and written by Charles Burmeister, Mercury Plains stars Scott Eastwood as Mitch. He is in his twenties, unemployed, and lives in Jerkwater, Texas.

Wedged in the back of a trailer with his mother and stepfather, he lacks ambition and bearing.  One day, he decides to go across the Mexican border with a similarly lowlife buddy and find some adventure.  At the first sign of danger, his buddy ditches Mitch and leaves him in the throes of trouble.  Mitch seems to handle the situation without reservations and grabs the attention of The Captain, played by Nick Chinlund. He is the local paramilitary leader, who observes Mitch’s lack of direction but his ability to think fast on his feet.  The Captain recruits him and gives him five thousand dollars if he joins his band of soldiers. The paramilitary group waylays drug gangs and places a nice dent in the drug industry.

The movie is a familiar story about a Captain with a drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend, played by Angela Sarafyan. She hooks up with Mitch, and they fall head over heels for each other. Meanwhile, the paramilitary team is made up of misfits. Most of them are in their late teens or early twenties, while some younger boys in their tweens are also part of the military group.  The soldiers raid drug gangs and other dangerous elements, but these moments barely make the movie exciting. Mitch now has a purpose in life, but it doesn’t last long. All is not as it seems. Finally, the Captain confronts Mitch about his interest in his girlfriend. Given these points, the rest of the story is predictable all the way to the end.

Eastwood, Clint Eastwood’s son, is good as Mitch and captivating on screen, but he needs to pick better movies.

Adventure and Fantasy “Four Warriors”

action, adventure, drama, fantasy, , ,
FOUR WARRIORS 3d DVD

Directed by Phil Hawkins and written by its star, Christopher Dane, the movie looks pretty good and is shot skillfully, with clean camerawork by David Meadows. Even the sets are decent and realistic, as many of the scenes were filmed in the woods, and the locations come across convincingly. The cast did a fine job of acting, and that is about as far as the movie goes on a positive note.

The story follows four men as they embark on a journey to fight the evil forces threatening their land and loved ones. As fantasy and adventure collide, four battle-weary Crusaders set out to track down an evil predator foretold in an ancient prophecy who has abducted all the men and children from a devastated village.

The obvious problem with Four Warriors is its low-budget production value, as the movie is full of incomplete details and unbelievable makeup and costumes. The characters are supposed to be battle-weary Crusaders, yet they look nothing like medieval fighters.  The actors are clean-cut and fit, and look like a bunch of models attending a photo shoot. The weapons look truly fake, and the armor is way too clean and polished for the time period and situation.

The battles are extreme, but without the magical finesse needed to keep viewers interested throughout the story. The scenes never reach their ultimate level of danger. The choreography of the battles clearly missed their marks, and it was way too obvious. The movie had demons that were not at all scary and looked too much like humans. The movie is being touted as similar to Game of Thrones meets Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, but I don’t see the resemblance at all, and it’s a good reason to avoid this film.

Cusack, Chan and Brody in “Dragon Blade”

action, foreign films, history, movies, , , , , ,
Dragon Blade

Directed by Daniel Lee, Dragon Blade is a fine example of the materialization of the growing motion picture market in China.

The industry is so dominant in Asia that Western stars are appearing in Chinese productions.  Like Dragon Blade, the movies are cultural dramas on a grand scale of historical epics. Lee’s movie has been a moneymaker, grossing over $120 million in China.  

The storyline is unique and pleasurable with Jackie Chan, John Cusack, and Adrien Brody. Cusack and Brody appear out of place in the empire of men swinging swords and wearing sandals, whereas Chan does a fine job of martial arts and plays a familiar role.

The movie transports the story back to 48 B.C., where Huo An, played by Chan, is a well-intended and compassionate leader of the Silk Road Protection Squad. His squad comes across as a dedicated group. Huo protects and fights altruistically to maintain harmony for the sanctioned Road.

Thereupon, Huo and his men are framed for gold smuggling and are banished to Wild Goose Gate. They are required to rebuild an entire city in two weeks or be put to death. Clearly an impossible task, something miraculous happens, and they connect up with a lost Roman army. Commanded by General Lucius, played by Cusack, is a scoundrel. He immediately picks a fight with Huo. After the brawl, they became fast friends with singing, parades, and drinking. Lucius confesses he is trying to avoid capture by the Romans and that he has a sick boy, Publius, played by Joey Jozef. The boy is the lawful heir to the Roman throne, and his evil brother, Tiberius, played by Brody, is out to assassinate him. He recently murdered their father, so we know he is serious. With that in mind, Lucius’ men and other local tribes, along with Huo, turn the city into a symbol of peace. Something Huo has desired for most of his life.

The visuals are not only majestic but also ambiguous. Seeing Chan in a sword fight with Cusack is conflicting. We are in Asia, and here is a Westerner. It is intriguing but unreal for an epic. The $65 million budget funded gigantic spectacles in which Lee effectively created a war-torn China during the Han Dynasty.

This is purely fictional with no regard for historical authenticity. True. The Romans and Asians shared commerce and the Silk Road, but nothing more. The many battle scenes are exceptional, with the combination of Roman fighting techniques and traditional Chinese martial arts. The movie is invigorating to watch as a friendship develops between Huo and Lucius.

Overall, Dragon Blade is a movie worth seeing, with Chan outshining his Western co-stars.

“12 Rounds 3: Lockdown” Different From Original

action, murder, police drama, , , , ,
12 Rounds 3 Lockdown

Watching the movie gives no indication of the story being a sequel because it is so different from the previous 12 Rounds movies.

The story has different characters and more action.  The other movies follow a man forced to complete a series of tasks within a specific timeframe. Lockdown refers to the limited amount of bullets the main character holds in his gun in order to achieve his task of nailing the bad guys.

Directed by Stephen Reynolds, the story follows John Shaw (Dean Ambrose), a cop.  Shaw just returned from an extensive leave after undergoing a gunshot wound and the death of his rookie partner. Fellow officer Tyler Burke, played by Roger Cross, brings tension to the story because he is a dirty cop involved in a drug-dealing venture. Rookie cop Jenny Taylor, played by Sarah Smyth, discovers evidence against Burke and tells Shaw. He investigates and confronts Burke and his team’s connection to drug dealing.

Burke needs to get rid of Shaw because he knows about his dirty dealings with drugs. So, he and his team evacuated the entire police building and locked it down. They are intent on hunting down Shaw and killing him. Shaw only has and clip for his revolver, with 12 rounds, which is why the movie’s title is “12 Rounds.” That is not all. Shaw has more on his hands than just Burke and his gang chasing him down. He is being set up by Burke, who is trying to frame him. Burke is telling Captain Matthews, played by Rebecca Marshall, that Shaw is responsible for the homicides during the lockdown. Officer Taylor is also locked in the building and doesn’t know whom to trust.

This sequel is comparable to the original Die Hard, with many shootouts and fistfights.  The movie uses the same old action style, and it is worth watching if you are a huge fan of Dean Ambrose.

De Niro, Bosworth star in “Heist”

action, drama, movies, police drama, , ,
Heist

Directed by Scott Mann, Heist follows Lucas Vaughn, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who works at the Swan Casino.

The casino is owned by Mafia boss Francis “Pope” Silva, played brilliantly by Robert De Niro. Luke’s young daughter is hospitalized and is seriously ill, in need of expensive treatment. The real problem is that Luke did not keep up with the Medical Insurance payments. His daughter may not be cared for with the correct treatments if he doesn’t pay the medical costs. Luke asks his old friend and employer for a loan. The employer says, “No Favors.”

Along comes fellow employee Cox, played by Dave Bautista, who plans to rob his employer and wants Luke’s knowledge to help pull off the heist. Cox knows Luke has worked there for many years and has the knowledge he needs. Helping Cox is the only way Luke can pay the medical costs, so he agrees to be a part of the heist to save his daughter’s life. He has his own ideas on how the heist should go, and the plan seems to work until security is alerted.

Gunfire ensues as they make a getaway in a bus with hostages. Now, they are pursued by the police. With Cox crazed and ready to kill a victim to get away, Luke tries to keep things under control. The bus is being chased by both Pope’s bodyguards and the police.  Pope is interested in getting the money back before the police make an arrest because the money belongs to the mob, which the casino laundered.

Luke strikes up a rapport with one of the police officers, Kris, played by MMA star Gina Carano. She soon understands Luke is the link to freeing the passengers on the bus without harm.

The whole situation gets very intense before it comes to an end. The movie is well worth watching because the story works well, and the acting matches its spirit. I recommend you catch it on demand or rent it.

 

Stewart and Eisenberg in “American Ultra”

action, comedy, movies, science fiction, , , , ,
americanultra

Directed by Nima Nourizadeh, American Ultra follows Mike Howell, played by Jesse Eisenberg. He is a clerk at an all-night convenience store in rural West Virginia.

He is laid back because he smokes his pot and spends a great deal of time writing a graphic novel about a superhero monkey. Phoebe, played by Kristen Stewart, is his anchor. She is sweet and loving as his girlfriend, while she accepts his unconventional outlook on life. It’s all too perfect for Mike. Something is amiss, not quite right.

Mike is part of a failed experiment to form a force of super-soldiers.   Victoria, played by Connie Britton, ran the experimental program and decided to shut it down after the super-soldiers exhibited severe psychological side effects. She let Mike live and gave him a new identity after erasing his mind, then adding new memories.

Victoria discovers that Mike is set to be exterminated by an associate, Adrian Yates, played by Topher Grace. Victoria shows up at Mike’s workplace, says a coded phrase, and reawakens his previous training. Mike catches Yates’ team trying to bomb his car. Mike becomes a super-soldier once again. The movie takes off in an R-rated fashion with action-packed combat and brutal overkills.

The movie shows tenderness and some humor. It is not super funny, but laughing is part of watching the movie. A neat and surprising twist at the end wraps up the movie nicely. The movie is not your typical action story, but it is pleasurable to watch and is entertaining. If you are a Stewart or Eisenberg fan, then you will definitely like the movie.

Action Movie “Zero Tolerance”

action, movies, , , , , ,
zerotolerance

Directed by Wych Kaosm, Zero Tolerance seems like an action feature billed as a thriller. An ex-CIA operative, played by Dustin Nguyen discovers his estranged daughter murdered in Bangkok.  He hooks up with his former partner, played by Sahajak Boonthanakit, and together they delve into the city’s criminal world. They discover his daughter’s devious past and uncover her killer.

With names like Kane Kosugi, Dustin Nguyen, Gary Daniels and Scott Adkins, you easily suspect many hand-to-hand action scenes. Not so with Zero Tolerance because the movie graces only two full-length brawls. One brawl is a real karate fight, which is cool to watch as Nguyen and Adkins try to take each other down. If you go crazy over martial arts and hand-to-hand combat in movies, then you might be disappointed in the fight scenes.

The characters are strong in the movie with a weak storyline. Some plot points are left unclear, and the pace is slow at times. Dustin and the other actors do a great job in playing the good guys against the bad guys while dealing with amoral personalities.  One aspect of the movie I did not like is the repugnant strain of chauvinism. It is not just in one scene but throughout the movie, and even the good guys were abusing the women. I was taken aback by the abuse because this is supposed to be an anti-trafficking movie.

I found out after viewing the movie that the scenes with Adkins and Kosugi were shot a couple of years after the unreleased movie was canned.  I didn’t even notice, but still, it doesn’t save the movie. It is decent enough if you are a diehard martial arts fan. You can rent it or catch it on cable.

“Ascension” Science-Fiction Miniseries

action, drama, movies, mystery, romance, science fiction, , , , , , ,

Originally introduced as a miniseries for the SyFy Channel, Ascension is now available on DVD.  The movie is set against stimulating and enormous elements, on which the story plays more with the human approach to drama.

The story looks great for a miniseries, offering a spacecraft built in the 60s. The attention to detail is extraordinary and draws the viewers into the experience.  The direction allows the actors to deliver stellar work alongside notable talent such as Tricia Helfer, Gil Bellows, Brian Van Holt, Andrea Roth, Brandon P. Bell, and Brad Carter. They all work together and keep the plot moving forward with memorable performances.

The CGI is well done, though a few scenes look amateurish in exterior shots of the spacecraft.  Given that the SyFy Channel produced the movie, the special effects are not that bad.

The storyline is what wins the movie for me. In 1963, in the grip of the Cold War, we guarded against our future survival by launching a huge interstellar ship called the U.S.S. Ascension. With 600 or more people aboard to guarantee our survival, the ship is a little over 50 years out on a 100-year mission. Threatening the crew is an unprecedented domestic murder.

The movie is promoted as “Mad Men in Space,” and I agree it is the best way to describe it. The twists and turns in the story are a little too much like a soap opera, but it keeps you on your toes with the plot moving along nicely.

All in all, I was surprised how good Ascension actually is for a low-grade cable show. I really recommend it.  There is certainly a lot of entertainment value.

“Vendetta” WWE Film Directed by Women

action, movies, police drama, , , ,
vendetta

Directed by twins Jen and Sylvia Soska, Vendetta is a movie shot predominately in a prison, which keeps the production cost down. Produced by the WWE and starring wrestler Paul “The Big Show” Wight as a massive villain.

Vendetta is billed as an action movie, and the male-dominated tone surprises me that two women directed this WWE brand of entertainment.

The movie stars Dean Cain as Mason, a strong, crusty detective who we meet in the opening scene. He apprehends Victor, played by Wight, but is released on a technicality. Victor is out for revenge and arrives at Mason’s home and beats his wife, played by Kyra Zagorsky, to death and gets caught.

Mason snaps and embarks on a vendetta against the man who shattered his life. He kills Victor’s brother, played by Aleks Paunovic, and is thrown in the same prison where Victor is serving his time.

Victor wields considerable power in the prison and calls the shots. Getting involved in one violent altercation after another, now a former cop, Mason meets the prison’s sleazy warden, played entertainingly by Michael Eklund. He called him into his office after one of his attackers was placed in the hospital by Mason.

The warden scolds Mason and decides his pal Victor can eliminate Mason for him.  Mason asks his former partner in the police force, played by Ben Hollingsworth, to help him nail the corrupted warden and his cohorts.

How the story unfolds from here is endless fight scenes showcasing Cain’s muscular body.  Cain is good and delivers a physical performance worth watching. Wight’s massive body roars as he struts like a professional wrestler, choking out opponent after opponent.

The story builds to a prison riot as the movie ends.

“Chain of Command” With Steve Austin and Michael Jai White

action, drama, military, movies, , , ,
chain

Directed by Kevin Carraway and starring Steve Austin and Michael Jai White, Chain of Command was released on DVD. I am not surprised because the movie is not very good, with nothing original about the plot. It is about a military man, played by White, who works to expose those responsible for his brother’s death because it is his duty and his need to get revenge.

I have seen White in better movies like Black Dynamite. That I highly recommend. Another recent movie, Skin Trade, starring White stars and Tony Jaa, is quite good, too. Watching him in a movie like Chain of Command is painful because it’s so bad.  White is talented, and he should pick better movies where he can let his talent shine on screen.

The movie doesn’t do justice to Austin either. His scenes are lengthy tirades with no substance to back him up.  That adds up to being boring with a big yawn.  All in all, this movie is not worth watching.  It is about Special Operative James Webster. He just returned home from duty, only to witness the brutal slaying of his brother.

Webster immediately tries to retaliate and hunt down the perpetrators, but as he delves deeper into the secret world of corruption and murder, he finds himself at the center of a deadly conspiracy that cuts deep inside the walls of the US Government.  The most ruthless military assassin, played by Austin, is hot on his trail.  Webster must expose the corrupt high-ranking officials before he becomes just another victim of the evil plan to destroy.